The Cooper Alumni Center, at 2600 Alumni Blvd on the Arkansas State University campus, was designed by Dale and Associates Architects of Jackson, Mississippi. The exterior shell of the building was constructed by Olympus Construction. Phase II including the interior finish, detail work and completion of the structure was completed by Baldwin Shell Construction under the supervision of Jerry Brackett of Brackett Krennerich Architects in Jonesboro. It is built on the site of what is often remembered as A-State's 'old pavilion.' The building site was identified during the tenure of A-State President Eugene Smith '52 who served from 1984-92 and as Interim President 1994-95. 

In 2003, the A-State Alumni Association received a $2 million gift from Darrell Cooper '64 and Charlotte Pugh Cooper '64 of Clarkston, Michigan, toward the construction. The Coopers' gift started the fundraising for the privately-funded facility, named the Cooper Alumni Center in recognition of their gift. 

Other major donors to the facility with areas named for them include the E.C. Barton Company of Jonesboro; Paula and Jim Callaway '68 of Dallas; Sam and Marilyn McCracken Hummelstein '74 of Jonesboro; the family of the late Marlin Jackson '58 of Conway; the Kays Foundation; Mary Ellen and Lavon Wells '65 of Jonesboro; Ann Smithwick Reynolds '70 and Stephen Reynolds '68 of Memphis, and Dr. and Mrs. Alonzo Williams '73 of Little Rock. 

Groundbreaking for the Cooper Alumni Center took place on April 28, 2005. The first event in the Cooper Alumni Center was the 2008 Distinguished Alumni reception on Sept. 19, 2008. A private tour of the facility was held Saturday morning, Sept. 20, for 1924 Sustaining Life Members and other donors who helped make the building possible. That afternoon, a 'soft opening' tailgate party took place as part of Homecoming 2008. The official dedication of the building was on Oct. 17, 2008. 

The Cooper Alumni Center is a multipurpose facility available for meetings, receptions, and community events. It includes a banquet room, history room, board room, and upper and lower lobby reception areas covering approximately 20,000 square feet. The banquet room accommodates seated dinners for up to 200 people, and can be divided by moveable walls into three separate salons. The History Room is named for the late Marlin Jackson '58 in honor of a gift from the Jackson family. The Board Room is named for the Kays Foundation in honor of their gift. The back terrace overlooking the lake, which is named for Paula and Jim Callaway '68, contains engraved commemorative bricks available for purchase. The Cooper Alumni Center includes office space for Alumni Relations, the Development Office, and the Vice-Chancellor for University Advancement. 

There are more than 90,000 living A-State alumni. The A-State Alumni Association is a non-profit organization created to involve alumni and friends in the mission of the university. Interest in an Alumni Association began in 1924 with the first thirteen graduating classes of the First District State Agricultural High School. 

For more information on the Alumni Association or the Cooper Alumni Center, contact the A-State Alumni office at 870-972-ALUM (2586), or email alumni@astate.edu.